Bicycle Locks

Best bicycle locks

While experts say that no bike lock is impenetrable, a top-rated lock can still net you a lot of protection. A hard-to-crack bicycle lock might be seen as too much trouble for a thief. And thieves read reviews too -- chances are they have a pretty good idea which locks are more resistant than others.

If you live in an urban area and need all the help you can get to secure your bike, the top-rated bicycle lock in reviews is the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-Lock (*est. $75) . The Fahgettaboudit U-lock held up longest under a power-tool assault at Cycling Plus -- just shy of three minutes. It held up far longer with hand tools. In tests at Slate.com, Scott Elder writes that it would have taken almost 45 minutes with a hacksaw to crack the 18 mm shackle on the Fahgettaboudit U-lock. The Kryptonite bicycle lock comes with three keys (one is lighted), and you can register for $4,500 of anti-theft insurance ($3,000 in New York City) by sending in copies of your receipts.

The downside is that the NY Fahgettaboudit U-Lock weighs 4.6 pounds -- it's hardly lightweight. If you don't need the best protection and don't want to spend so much, reviews do recommend other locks for non-high-crime areas.

Kryptonite's New York Lock STD U-Lock (*est. $65) and the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-Lock are the two most often preferred in reviews. The inside dimensions are different: the New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock measures 3.25 by 6 inches on the inside and is often called the Mini, which is not the actual name. In fact, with an 18 mm shackle and a crossbar recently beefed up to 18 mm, the 4.6-pound New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock weighs more than the New York STD, which measures 4 by 8 inches on the inside and has a 16 mm shackle. For toughness, however, Slate and Cycling Plus favored the Fahgettaboudit U-Lock. Others favored the STD model, but the argument is convincing that the smaller Fahgettaboudit is tougher. Keep in mind that if your bike has a beefy mountain-bike frame, the Fahgettaboudit U-lock might be a little small. But experts say that a snug fit is actually good, since it gives thieves less room to get leverage on the lock.

This year's NY Fahgettaboudit U-lock, says a company spokesperson, includes several improvements. The crossbar is now heavier and stronger. It now has an oval shape for more strength and to accommodate a double dead bolt system. It is easier to use, because the crossbar no longer pivots on one end, but is removed completely from the shackle when unlocked.

Other U-locks also performed well in testing. We read particularly good reviews for some bicycle locks that aren't available in the U.S., including the Abus Granit X Plus, the Trelock BS400 and the Abus Sinero. If you live in England or Australia, you might want to check into those bike locks.

OnGuard also makes a series of other aggressively named bicycle locks that did well in tests. These include the 4.6-pound Brute STD U-Lock (*est. $70), , which came in second at Slate magazine. Scott Elder writes the Brute was "mean enough to scare off any real bike thief," but also says it's heavy (4.5 pounds). The Brute has a 16.8 mm steel shackle and comes with a $3,000 one-year theft warranty.

If you don't want to spend quite so much and don't live in an urban area, the best value, according to tests at Cycling Plus, is the OnGuard Pitbull STD U-lock (*est. $25) , which lasted a mere 18.8 seconds under power-tool attack. Still, most thieves don't walk around with power tools, and this U-lock was very resistant to attacks with hacksaws and bolt cutters. The 3.2-pound OnGuard Pitbull STD bicycle lock has a 13 mm shackle, and you can register for $2,250 in theft insurance. The reviewer at Ride On found this lock "unbreakable" with manual tools, although the locking mechanism itself broke, so the lock remained fixed to the bike.

We also found good reviews for the similar OnGuard Bulldog DT (*est. $30) , another U-lock with a 13 mm shackle, but which comes with an additional cable lock. One downside of a U-lock is that while you can fit the lock around your bike frame and rear wheel, your front wheel and bike seat are vulnerable. The Bulldog U-lock adds a separate cable lock for securing those components, which gives you some extra security.

In addition to U-locks, chains get a lot of attention in reviews. Bicycle chains in general just didn't last as long in attacks as U-locks, and they are heavier and bulkier to carry. However, chain locks are a good option for securing several bikes together, according to Brad Quartuccio as interviewed in The New York Times.

Chain locks sure look tough and imposing, but most chain locks did give a pair of bolt cutters much resistance. We generally found decent reviews for the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain with EV Disc Lock (*est. $75) , with 11 mm links and a 3-foot length (a 5-foot length is also available). The longer chains are generally sold to motorcycle owners, but a bike owner with more than one bike to secure might consider the longer chain, which is otherwise identical to the shorter one. The Fahgettaboudit chain has an advantage over some standard chains in that the links are squared off rather than tubular, which makes it harder for thieves with bolt cutters to get a good grip. Kryptonite offers a one-year $3,000 warranty with this bicycle lock.

In tests at Cycling Plus, the Fahgettaboudit chain held up for about a minute when attacked with power tools. The Henry Squire Company from England also produces a chain that withstands hand tool attack, Cycling Plus reports, claiming the padlock is also "excellent." The Squire SS50 padlock with their G3 chain is a hefty package with a total weight of 6 pounds. It is not available in the U.S.

In stores, you might see "street cuff" bicycle locks, or O-locks, which are designed like handcuffs. Cycling Plus found the Master Lock Sport Street Cuff (*est. $65) passable but bulky -- they were unable to break it with hand tools. The New York Times' reviewer was more skeptical about the Master Lock Street Cuff after finding that the chain linking the two cuffs broke easily. The Street Cuff also continues the cylindrical keyhole design that was vulnerable to the "Bic pen" attack. This bicycle lock isn't recommended for city dwellers.

Overall, reviewers say a U-lock is your best bet over a chain because it provides equal or better strength, with less bulk to haul around. A mounting bracket, often supplied, makes U-locks more manageable, too. No reviewer recommends a cable at all; still, most bicycles are stolen because they lack a bike lock entirely, so a cable lock might literally be better than nothing. No cable locks are recommended in reviews, but you can generally pick one up for about $10. Experts say there's no reason to spend more than that on a cable lock, since they all give way easily to bolt cutters.

Important Features: Bicycle locks

Get a U-lock over a chain; cable locks are useless. U-locks are most often recommended in reviews. Chains are a good option for securing several bikes together, but they are heavy and not as resistant to thieves as U-locks. Manufacturers tout several shapes of link material (round, square or six-sided) that they say repel the teeth of a bolt cutter, but a large enough bolt cutter will open its jaws wide enough to bite onto any shape chain.

• Look for hardened steel. The basic idea is to use steel as hard as the hacksaw blade or bolt cutters that thieves use. A hardened lock casing is needed to repel attack with a drill bit. Based on reviews, it's clear (although unfortunate for bikers) that strength and weight are inexorably linked.

• Look for a sturdy mounting bracket. This ensures you can carry the U-lock on your bike rather than in a backpack.

• Get at least two keys. Most bike locks come with two keys, but three or four keys aren't uncommon. This lets you leave one key at home in a secure place in case you lose the primary key. Some keys are lighted, helpful for night rides.

• Reviewers also like sliding dust covers that protect the keyhole. Also nice is a layer of protective plastic that keeps the lock from scratching your bike. With chains, the better models come in a nylon sock that prevents scratching.

• A snug fit is better. A slack chain or too-large U-lock leaves room between the bike and a post -- enough room for someone with a crowbar to begin an assault. There are "noose"-style chains that include a larger link at one end that slides over the smaller links, so the chain can be drawn tight.

• Consider two U-locks, or a U-lock and a cable lock. A U-lock will fit around your frame and rear wheel, but your bike seat and front wheel are still easy to access. Consider adding a cable lock or getting a second U-lock.

Additional factors to consider are in-house rating systems and approval from independent testers. Kryptonite, for example, rates their own products on a 1 to 12 scale, with 12 being the most secure. That gives you a relative idea of how the manufacturer positions its own products. OnGuard uses another system, 5 stars being the best. Independent testers, meanwhile, use a variety of scales, such as Sold Secure, an English company that uses gold, silver and bronze ratings, or the ART Foundation, a Dutch company that judges locks from 1 to 4, with 4+ being their best rating. For many others, however, such as Classe SRA, an independent tester from France, it's pass or fail: locks either have their stamp of approval or they don't.

Finally, of course, you want a lock that nobody can pick with a Bic pen or anything else. You can find many sites on the Internet that teach the curious and the corrupt how to reduce the number of combinations on a combination lock down to about a 30-minute trial and error process, but that still seems to be easier than outwitting a key lock -- although information on doing that is also available online. Generally, though, picking a lock takes a practiced hand or special locksmith tools and takes more time than it does to use a bolt cutter. Because of that, the strength of the lock is usually the determining factor. On the other hand, most of the thousands of bikes swiped each day, reviewers often say, are those that were left unlocked in the first place.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon
3	Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-Lock (*est. $75)	details
3	OnGuard 5012 Bulldog DT (*est. $30)	details
2	Kryptonite NY Fahgettaboudit chain (*est. $75)	details
2	OnGuard Pitbull STD 5003 (*est. $25)	details
2	Treblock BS400 (Not available in U.S).	-
2	Abus Sinero (Not available in U.S).	-
1 each	Kryptonite New York chain with Evolution Series 4 Disc Lock , Squire SS50 padlock with G3 Chain, Squire Urban Paramount 290 D-Lock, Kryptonite New York Lock STD, OnGuard Brute STD (with included cable lock), Magnum UL2

The four most credible reviews we found favor U-Locks over chains and chains over cables. In fact, no reviewer recommends cable bicycle locks at all. The best U-locks are heavier, stronger and easier to handle and transport than chains and, if snug, they are good prevention against pry-bar attacks. The Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-Lock, improved recently, is the smaller of their top-line bicycle locks, and it proved toughest in several tests. OnGuard's Pitbull, Bulldog and Brute locks also scored highly in tests, particularly for value. Both manufacturers offer one-year theft warranties, but you have be sure to register after purchase to be eligible. A chain is a good option if you have several bikes to secure. We found the best reviews for the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain.

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